Rail-chair for bridges.



A. G. LIEBMANN.

RAIL CHAIR FOR BRIDGES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1913.

1,1265519. Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

rHE NURRIS Pklckb LU" FHUIU-LITHO.. WASHING roN TTNTTED STATES PATET OFFTQ.

AUGUST G. LIEBIVIANN, OF BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR T0 VIGNOLES RAIL CHAIR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAY/ABE.

BAIL-CHAIR FOB BRIDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Application filed August 27, 1913. Se ial No- 787,012.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUeUsT G. LIEBMANN, citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Chairs for Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway track appliances and particularly to rail chairs.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a chair particularly designed for closed bridge floors. On many roads in the country to-day, particularly on the more modern lines, the tendency is to use trapezoidal troughs or solid steel deck floors with ballast thereon. It is quite necessary with chairs used for this purpose to provide a rail fastening so constructed as to be as near the surface of the tie as possible so that the heads and nuts of the bolts are accessible.

A further object of the invention is there fore to provide a rail fastening which is disposed near the surface of the tie and which will permit lateral and vertical adjustment of the rail without interfering with the operation and location of guard rails which may be permanently fastened to the bridge floor and without disturbance of track, ballast or the primary fastenings whereby the rail is held to the tie.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable rail fastening means permitting both lateral and vertical adjustment, said fastening means however being so constructed that there is no great extension of the chair or fastening means below the face of the tie, thus making the adjustment easy of access without disturbanceof the track or ballast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair which may be cheaply made from pressed or deformed plate and which will provide a simple, positive and thoroughly effective fastening means whereby the rail may be positively held down upon the tie.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a road bed with the improved chair disposed thereon, the rail being in section. Fig.

Referring to these figures, A designates the floor of a bridge or like structure, B the ties disposed thereon and C the rail. The bridge structure, the tie and rail may be of any ordinary or usual construction.

Disposed upon the face of the ties B is a bed plate 2 which preferably extends over two ties and bridges the gap between the ties. The bed plate is preferably formed of a pressed or deformed metallic plate, and this plate is cut away at each side as at 3 and 1, the material originally filling this cutaway portion being downwardly bent as at 5 to form depending anchoring lugs. The metal may be pressed downwardly in webs, however, without completely cutting away the metal if desired. This cutting and bending of the base plate provides a middle portion 6 and two end portions 7. Each end portion 7 has a width preferably equal to the width of the tie upon which the end portion rests, and each end portion 7 is held to the corresponding tie by means of screw spikes 8. These screw bolts or spikes may be of any usual or standard form.

The middle portion 6 of the bed plate is reinforced and strengthened by the angularly bent lugs 5. These lugs 5 extend down into the ballast between the ties and act to anchor the rail supporting structure from longitudinal movement.

The middle portion 6 adjacent its ends is cut out or apertured as at 9, this aperture being preferably rectangular in form, the metal which originally filled this aperture being downwardly bent as at 10 to form side walls or flanges to the aperture as illustrated clearly in Fig. 3. The apertures 9 are spaced from each other the width of the base flange of a rail;

Engaging over the base flange of the rail on each side of the web thereof are the rail clamping members 11 illustrated most clearly in Fig. 2. These clamping members are generally rectangular in form and each consists of a body 12 having an inwardly extending tongue 13 cut away upon its under face as at 14: so as to engage over the upper face of the base flange of the rail and provide a shoulder 15 at the junction of the tongue with the body portion. The outer edge of the body portion is 5 stepped, that is, formed with a series of recesses, each slightly deeper than the preceding recess, these steps providing a series of shoulders 16. These shoulders are adapted to engage with the outer end wall of the aperture 9 as shown clearlyin Fig.2.

Passing through each of the clamps *11 is a bolt 17, the lower end of which is headed and provided with a transversely extending washer or plate 18 which as illustrated in Fig. 3 is upwardly turned at its ends as at 19 so as to fit over the downwardly extending walls or flanges 10, thus preventingthe washer or plate 18 from having any longitudinal movement. The

29 lower edges of these walls or flanges 10 are upwardly and inwardly inclined. The upper and lower faces of each clamp plate are also upwardly and inwardly inclined and the bolts 17 extend at right angles to the faces of theclamp plates.

The manner in which the rail clamping members hold the rail to the base plateris obvious from Figs. l and 2. In Fig. 2, the rail is shown in a median position but 30 slightly elevated by means of a shim 20. Under these circumstances, the middle shoulder 16 of each clamp plate is disposed against the end wall of the aperture 9 and then the bolts 17 are inserted and the nuts 17* turned down until the clamps 11 bear firmly upon the rail. It will be noted that the inner ends of the clamps bear firmly against the web of the rail and that as the outer ends .of the clamps, 4e that is, the shoulders 16, bear against the end walls of the apertures 9, it is impossible for the rail to have any accidental lateral movement. Furthermore, the bolts 17 will hold the clamps from any vertical movement, thus preventing vertical movement of the rail. When it is desired to shift the rail "laterally, the nuts on the bolts 17 are released, thus releasing the clamps. The rail is then shifted laterally and the lowermost shoulder of one of the clamps is engaged with the end wall of the adjacent aperture 9 "while the uppermost shoulder of the opposite clamp is engaged with the end wall of the corresponding aperture. In

'5 other words, when it is desired to shift the rail, both of the. clamps are released and both of the clamps shifted in accordance with the shifting of the rail and then readjusted with their shoulders 16 in 0011- 6 tact with the end wall of the corresponding slot. It is obvious that the rail may be vertically adjusted by means of shims. It is also to be noted that it is a very simple matter to withdraw the clamps from their engagement with the plate and readjust the clamps after the rail has been shifted lat- All of the adjusting parts of this rail fastening and chair are disposed above the surface of the bed plate and as a consequence are in such position as to be easily accessible to the operator. Furthermore, it will be noted that the flanges 10 will prevent ballast from extending up into the space between the flanges and thus impeding the proper adjustment of the clamp plates in the apertures 9. It is obvious that with this type of chair and for accomplishing the work intended, it is particularly so necessary that the fastening devices be located between ties and with as slight an extension below the plane of the surface of the ties as possible. This type of chair may be used without interfering with guard 35 rails, and the secondary fastenings whereby the rail is held to the base plate not only are easy of access but when they are adjusted no disturbance of track or ballast need'take place.

'VVhile I have illustrated my invention as applied for use on bridges, and while this form ofchair is particularly designed for the use described, it will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to this use as it might be employed in other situations.

It may be pointed out also that this chair, where wooden ties are used, takes wear from the upper face of the tie and entirely eliminates the necessity of 'respiking the tie in order to adjust the chair laterally or vertically. This elimination of respiking so lengthens the lift of the tie that treated ties may be economically used which is not the case where ties have to be respiked in order to adjust the rail. Furthermore, it is pointed out that this improved chair conforms to the requirements laid down in the final report of the Block Signal and Train-Control Board of the Interstate Commerce Commission in that the rail is securely held to the tie and yet allowed to be laterally and vertically adjusted without respiking.

What I claim is:

1. A rail chair including a bed plate having depending reinforcing flanges extending transversely to the length of the plate and provided with spaced apertures disposed between .said flanges, and rail clamping members fitting in said apertures for holding a rail in diflerent positions of lateral and vertical adjustment with respect to the bed plate.

2. A rail chair including a bed plate having an aperture, a rail clamp having a thickened outer end, the thickened portion being adapted to fit in said aperture, the rear edge of the thickened portion having a series of 130 shoulders arranged in stepped relation and adapted to engage with the end wall of the aperture, bolts passing through the thickened portion of the clamp, and a member engaging the lower end of the bolt and bearing against the under face of the bed plate.

3. A rail chair including a bed plate having spaced apertures, the sides of said apertures being defined by flanges extending downwardly from the bed plate, rail clamping members adapted to engage a rail between them and having downward extensions fitting in said apertures, members bridging said apertures and engaging the lower edges of the flanges, and fastening devices passing through the extensions of the clamping members and engaging said bridging members.

4. A rail chair including a bed plate having apertures, rail clamps having thickened outer ends, the thickened portions being adapted to fit in said apertures, the rear edge of the thickened portion of each clamp having a series of shoulders arranged in stepped relation and adapted to engage with the end wall of the corresponding aperture, members bridging the apertures and disposed beneath the bed plate, and bolts passing through each of said clamps and through the corresponding bridging members.

5. A rail chair including a bed plate formed with apertures and having depending flanges forming side walls for each aperture, clamping members disposed upon said bed plate and adapted to engage a rail between them, each clamping member having a thickened outer portion, the outer end face of the thickened portion of each clamping member having shoulders arranged in stepped relation and adapted to engage with the outer end wall of the corresponding aperture, a bridging member extending over the flanges at each aperture and disposed beneath the bed plate, and bolts passing through the thickened portion of each clamping member and through said bridging member.

6. A rail chair comprising a bed plate adapted to be attached to a pair of ties and bridge the space between them, the inter mediate portion of said plate being formed with oppositely disposed apertures spaced from each other a distance greater than the base of a rail, clamping membersadapted to engage on either side of the rail, each clamping member at its outer end being adapted to engage within the correspond ing aperture, and means for holding said clamping members in engagement with the walls of said apertures.

7 A rail chair of the character described comprisin a bed plate adapted to rest upon a pair of ties and bridge the space between them, the intermediate portion of said bed plate on each side being cut away at spaced points to leave an intermediate, transversely extending web, the side edges of said web being extended downwardly, the web being formed with oppositely disposed apertures spaced from each other a distance greater than the width of a rail base, rail clamping ,members adapted to be disposed one on each side of a rail and each having its outer end extended within the corresponding aperture in the web and having adjustable engagement with the outer wall thereof, and bolts passing through the outer ends of the clamping members and through said apertures and operatively engaging with the under portion of the plate.

8. A rail chair of the character described comprising a bed plate adapted to rest upon a pair of ties and bridge the space between them, the intermediate portion of said bed plate on each side being cut away at spaced points to leave an intermediate, transversely extending web, the side edges of said web,

being extended downwardly, the web being formed with oppositely disposed apertures spaced from each other a distance greater than the width of a rail base, rail clamping members adapted to be disposed one on each side of a rail, each clamping member adjacent its outer end being thickened, the outer end face of this thickened portion being formed with a series of shoulders arranged in stepped relation, bridging members disposed beneath the apertures in the plate and bridging said apertures, and a bolt passing through each clamping member and through the corresponding bridging member.

9. A rail chair of the character described comprising a bed plate adapted to rest upon a pair of ties and bridge the space between them, the intermediate portion of said bed plate on each side being cut away at spaced points to leave an intermediate, transversely extending web, the side edges of said web being extended downwardly, the web being formed with oppositely disposed apertures spaced from each other a distance greater than the width of a rail base, each aperture having downwardly extending side walls, rail clamping members adapted to be disposed one on each side of a rail, each clamping member adjacent its outer end being thickened, the outer end face of this thickened portion being formed with a series of shoulders arranged in stepped relation, a bridging member disposed beneath each aperture in the plate and engaging over the downwardly extending walls of the aperture, and a bolt passing through each clamping member and through the corresponding bridging member.

10. The combination with a pair of ties and a rail thereon, of a bed plate supported upon said ties and bridging the space he tween the two, said bed plate on opposite sides being cut away at spaced points to leave an intermediate transversely extending web, the material of said cutaway portion being bent downwardly to provide flanges, said web near its ends being formed with rectangular apertures, the material of these apertures being bent downward to form side walls to each aperture, rail clamps engaging on either side of the rail and adjacent their outer ends being thickened to extend downwardly through the corresponding aperture, the outer end face of each thickened portion being formed with a series of shoulders arranged in stepped relation, bridging members engaging over the downwardly extending walls of the apertures, and bolts extending through said clamping members, through the apertures of the bed plate and through said bridging members.

11. A rail chair including a bridge bed plate having spaced apertures formed in the bridging portion thereof, and rail clamping devices fitting in said apertures forsecuring a rail in different positions of lateral and verticaladjustment with respect to the bed plate.

12. The combination with spaced ties, of a bed plate permanently secured to said ties andspanni'ng'the space betweenthem, and rail clamping devices carried by the bridge portion of the bed plate, said rail clamping devices being adjustable 'to support a rail in difierent positions of lateral and vertical adjustment with respect to the bed plate without disturbing said bed plate'or its securing means.

In-testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST G. L'IEBMANN.

VVitness'es:

J. D. YoAKLEY, Fnnnnnro LB. WRIGHT.

Copies: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

